The immune system plays an important role in the control of cancer development. To investigate the possible association of inflammasome genes to childhood leukemia we performed a case-control study with 158 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 192 healthy individuals. The IL1B and IL18 genetic polymorphisms were genotyped by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and NLRP1, NLRP3 and P2RX7 were genotyped using Real Time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The IL1B C/T rs19644 genotype was associated with the risk of developing ALL (C/C vs. C/T + T/T OR: 2.48 [95% CI: 1.26–4.88, p = 0.006]; C/C vs C/T OR: 2.74 [95% CI: 1.37–5.51, p = 0.003]) and the NLRP1 A/T rs12150220 (OR: 0.37 [95% CI: 0.16–0.87, p = 0.023]) was associated with protection against infectious comorbidities. It was not found association between NLRP3 and P2RX7 polymorphisms and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in our study. Our results suggest that the inflammasome single-variant polymorphisms (SNVs) may play a role in the development and prognostic of childhood leukemia. However, this finds requires further study within a larger population in order to prove it.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common hematologic malignancy in children in childhood. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in key molecules of the immune system, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD14 molecules, are associated with the development of several diseases. However, their role in ALL is unknown. A case–control study was performed with 152 ALL patients and 187 healthy individuals to investigate the role of SNPs in TLRs and the CD14 gene in ALL. In this study, TLR6 C > T rs5743810 [OR: 3.20, 95% CI: 1.11–9.17, p = 0.003) and TLR9 C > T rs187084 (OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.23–4.26, p = 0.000) seems to be a risk for development of ALL. In addition, the TLR1 T > G rs5743618 and TLR6 C > T rs5743810 polymorphisms with protection against death (OR: 0.17, 95% IC: 0.04–0.79, p = 0.008; OR: 0.48, 95% IC: 0.24–0.94, p = 0.031, respectively). Our results show that SNPs in TLRs genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALL and may influence clinical prognosis; however, further studies are necessary to elucidate the role of TLR1, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, TLR9 and CD14 polymorphisms in this disease.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common hematologic malignancy and the leading cause of childhood mortality. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in key molecules of the immune system, such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD14 molecule, are associated with the development of several diseases. However, their role in ALL is unknown. A case-control study was performed with 152 ALL patients and 187 healthy individuals to investigate the role of SNVs in TLRs and the CD14 gene in ALL. In this study, TLR6 C > T rs5743810 [95% CI: 3.20, OR: 1.11–9.17, p = 0.003) and TRL9 C/T rs187084 (95% CI: 2.29, OR: 1.23–4.26, p = 0.000) seems to be a risk for development of ALL. In addition, the TLR4 A > G rs4986791 polymorphism was associated with protection from infectious comorbidities (IC 95%adj: 0.18, ORadj:0.02–1.50, p = 0.058) and the TRL1 T > G rs5743618 and TRL6 C > T rs5743810 polymorphisms with protection against death (95% IC: 0.17, OR: 0.04–0.79, p = 0.008; 95% IC: 0.48, OR: 0.24–0.94, p = 0.031, respectively). Our results show that SNVs in TLR genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of ALL and may influence clinical prognosis; however, further studies are necessary to elucidate the role of TLR1, TLR4, TLR5, TLR9 and CD14 polymorphisms in this disease.